What To Order When Dining At An Indian Restaurant First TIme

​What To Order When Dining At An Indian Restaurant First TIme

So after some pestering from your friend, you finally decided to try the ​best Indian restaurant in NYC​ but aren’t sure what to try for your first visit. Indian cuisine is famous for its variety.

Different dishes use different ingredients and cooking techniques that cater to all sorts of tastes.

Though, sometimes ordering food at an Indian restaurant can be a bit confusing for some people. It could be due to a large menu which leaves people wondering what to order. It could also be due to the Indian names due to which they might not be sure what they’re ordering. If you’re dining at an Indian eatery for the first time and don’t know what to try first, this list is for you.

Samosas Samosas make for great appetizers and snacks. These deep-fried triangular snacks are made with wheat flour shell stuffed with potatoes. Ginger and cumin may be added for taste. They taste best with some tamarind sauce.

Butter Chicken It’s probably the dish that your friends recommend you try. It might be the one that will make you a fan of ​Indian food in NYC​. Butter chicken consists of chunks of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, roasted in a tandoor (clay oven) and cooked in tomato sauce. The result is a creamy chicken gravy with a rich aroma.

Tandoori Chicken It's whole chicken roasted in a tandoor. The chicken is marinated with yogurt and red chili powder. The result

is a reddish chicken that tastes smoky and slightly spicy when you eat it. If you’re new to Indian food in NYC, you might want to start with this mildly flavored dish before going for the spicier items on the menu.

Chicken Tikka Masala If you love kebabs, this dish should be on top of your wishlist. The chicken cubes are marinated in yogurt and spices before being grilled in tandoor and cooked with tomato sauce. This results in a thick creamy kebab stew with a rich aroma. It can be an appetizer or a meal depending on how many pieces you have.

Naan Most gravy dishes on the list are incomplete without some flatbreads on the side and naan is the perfect side dish. This long and triangular flatbread is soft and chewy. It’s cooked in a tandoor which gives it a smoky flavor due to which it tastes great even plain. Some restaurants may stuff it with cheese.

Dum Biryani If you’d rather not worry about ordering more naan until you finish the main meal, order dum biryani instead. This rice dish is a wholesome meal with tender meat layered in between. Lamb, chicken and beef are the most common meat used. Some outlets serve vegetarian versions. The dish is cooked over a long time at low heat which gives it a tender texture.

Saffron and fried onions may be added for taste. It tastes best with some raita (curd) on the side.

Kheer After all the spicy stuff, it’s best to end the meal with some desserts and kheer is best suited for the task. It’s a porridge prepared by boiling rice in milk and sugar. Almonds and pistachios may be added during the preparation for taste. It’s best served warm during chilly winter nights.

Kulfi Falood​a If you prefer finishing your hot meal with cold desserts, regardless of the season, you should try kulfi falooda. Falooda is a wholesome dessert prepared using vermicelli, ice cream, sweet basil seeds and rose syrup. Kulfi refers to the Indian version of ice cream that’s thicker and creamier

than regular ice cream. It’s prepared by boiling milk until it’s half the original quantity before freezing. Pistachios and cardamoms are added for taste.

These are just some dishes that you should try at the best Indian restaurant in NYC. If you follow a vegan diet, ask if the chefs use milk products when preparing vegetarian meals. Ask about other dietary restrictions you may follow like halal meat or gluten-free wheat dishes.